If you’re a subscriber to my weekly e-newsletter, A Busy Mom’s Kitchen, you read that this week I’m sharing how mom’s or dad’s can create inexpensive meals for their families that are not only quick and easy but cost less than $100.

Normally, when I’m at the grocery store I can spend just a tad bit over the $200 mark for almost a month’s worth of groceries. Yes, it can be done. You just have to pay attention to what’s on sale and from trial and error know what a good deal is at the supermarket. I see more and more people shopping with lists and coupons these days. It’s good to see people are looking for that extra savings.

My last trip to the grocery store, I picked up some cubed steak. You can pick up a decent package of cubed steak for less than $1.50 for 2 pieces. Serve with a salad and a vegetable and you have yourself a wonderful meal.

 I’ve learned how to create a week’s worth of salad with lettuce, carrots and celery to make it last all week and still taste fresh. This I will share with you in a later post.

Vegetables are inexpensive when purchased frozen and still have the required nutrients. Of course you can buy canned vegetables if they are on sale. I’m able to get more side dish meals from the frozen vegetables.

In this easy weeknight dinner, I’ve created a main dish using just 6 simple ingredients.

Cubed Steak with Gravy

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

4-6 pieces of cubed steak

1 large onion, diced

3/4 cup flour

Salt and pepper

1 cup water

Directions:

Place flour on a baking dish, plate or plastic bag. Salt and pepper both sides of cubed steak. Coat the cubed steak with flour on both sides. Save the flour for later, you will be using it for the gravy.

Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Brown cubed steak on both sides, roughly 3 minutes. Once cooked, remove from saucepan. Keep drippings in pan, add onion. Cook onion, for 2 minutes, then add flour, about an 1/8 cup or a little more. Stir while flour browns.

As you are continuously stirring, slowly add water and reduce heat to low. Simmer the gravy until it is the right consistency. at this point you could add the cubed steak back in and simmer for about 5 minutes more or you could plate it and serve the gravy on top as I did.

 I served the cubed steak with corn and a salad. You could also serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

Do you have any tips that work for you on shopping and creating inexpensive meals? I’d love to hear them!

As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.

Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store  for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com

Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.  

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An easy  inexpensive dessert recipe with sliced apples and a crunchy topping. Serve alone or with old fashioned vanilla ice cream.

Desserts For Less

If you’re looking for a fast, inexpensive dessert recipe, this is a really yummy one!

Easy Baked Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon butter or may use cooking spray to lightly coat baking dish

8 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 lemon, plus juice

1 Tablespoon molasses

3/4 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ginger

1 stick of butter (8 Tablespoons), cut into chunks

Caramel ice cream topping (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place apples in a 9×12 lightly greased baking dish. Add the zest of one lemon and juice, and molasses. Toss apples until coated. Spread apples evenly in baking dish.

In a small bowl add flour, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon and butter. Using fingers mix ingredients together until butter is incorporated into ingredients.  Sprinkle evenly over the top of apples.

Bakes in oven for 25 minutes or until top is lightly brown. Serve alone or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.

Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Clubon Facebook.  

So I’ve been debating over the past few months on a new kitchen theme. I wanted to freshen up the kitchen and give my readers a fresh new insight on all of my kitchen ideas, recipes, family life, add some cooking videos and more. This theme was designed after a recent blog critic so my designer and I shared some ideas and she did an amazing job. Thank you Christa! Need a blog lift, visit Christa at Jensen Designs. She’s affordable, communicates very well with her customers, (I dislike when I have to wait for days or don’t hear back from a designer.) and she does an amazing job!

Feel free to leave a comment on what you think of the new design. I’d love to hear from you!

I have more fun ideas coming up and a lot more frugal and easy recipes for busy families coming up a little later so come back and visit the kitchen soon.  Can you imagine making a week’s worth of meals for just $100 grocery shopping trip? Stay tuned…..

In the meantime, don’t forget to get your Friday Freebie at Raley’s. This Friday, Saturday or Sunday, spend $10 at Raley’s and get a 3 lb. bag of Raley’s Fresh Apples! Available with online coupons only. Limit 1 per customer.

As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.

Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store  for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com

Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.  

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Cooking for a cause is always enjoyable for me.  In our local events section, I read that tonight, The United Way of Nevada County’s 4^th Annual BBQ Battle is happening. It’s being held at 5pm in downtown Grass Valley at the Gold Miner Inn. They will be raffling some great raffle prizes; including a Hawaiian vacation getaway, and live music performed by SOLS. Spectators can Cool off under a tent of misting hoses while they enjoy the music and great food.

Proceeds from this event will be going to United Way of Nevada County Community Investment Fund.

We’ll be stopping by and checking out the event and tasting some wonderful BBQ. Hope to see you all there.

Simple Tuesday Weeknight Menu: Grilled Chicken and Broccoli Greens, with Brown Rice Couscous served on a bed of lettuce with a drizzle of your favorite dressing

Tender Grilled Chicken Breasts make this a delicious meal for your family

Kitchen Gadgets That Make Wonderful Meals

 Yesterday while I was out and about, I stopped in at one of our local thrift shops. I’m a sucker for a bargain and I love searching for new kitchen items old and new. While I was there, one of the items I came across was a Stove Top Grill. You place it directly on one of your stove burners and cook directly on it. One of the simplest and most effective cooking gadgets.

  I had grilled chicken planned for dinner, but I wasn’t looking forward to grilling outdoors while it was 101 degrees. The grill cost me a $1.  I thought to myself, if the results are good, what a bargain! So I decided to experiment and ended up with wonderful results. The chicken and broccoli tasted just like I had grilled them outdoors. Here’s a wonderful and delicious recipe you can create with a stove top grill.

Grilled Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 head of lettuce of your choice

2 cups broccoli

Your favorite dressing

Directions:

Marinate chicken breasts in refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight. Remove chicken breasts from refrigerator 15 minutes prior to cooking, bringing them to room temperature. This allows the chicken to cook evenly.

Preheat your stove top grill for 8 minutes on high heat or per user manual. Reduce heat to medium and place chicken breasts flatly on grill. Grill on each side for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.  Remove from grill and place on cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Slice lengthwise and place on lettuce greens on a platter.

I served the grilled chicken with grilled broccoli and a brown rice couscous. We drizzled a little bit of our favorite dressing on top.

As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.

Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store  for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com

Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.  

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